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Commission for the Blind urges state to preserve support services pilot and cash fund flexibility
Summary
The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired warned cuts in the governor’s proposal would jeopardize an Omaha pilot Support Services Program for deaf‑blind Nebraskans and asked to exempt agency funds (cash fund 28141) from LB1072 section 5 to preserve donor‑restricted dollars and program flexibility.
Carlos Cervan, executive director of the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, told the Appropriations Committee the agency relies primarily on federal rehabilitation dollars matched with state funds and that donor‑designated cash fund 28141 has funded services for children and flexibility for programs. Cervan said the commission used interest from the subfund — about $67,000 — to preserve program options and cautioned that sweeping or repurposing the fund would remove that flexibility.
The commission asked the committee to exempt NCBVI from a provision in LB1072 that would affect the cash fund, and to maintain current operating levels to avoid cutting the Support Services Program (SSP) for people who are both deaf and blind. Cervan said Nebraska lacks a formal statewide SSP program, noting only a 2024 pilot in Omaha that served 28 participants, averaged about 25 service hours per month, and delivered more than 2,500 service hours to date.
Cheryl Livingston, vice chair of the NCBVI Board and designee of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska, testified the commission’s work provides Braille technology (including the Monarch device), youth education and mentoring, and public outreach; she warned that the proposed cuts under LB1072 would eliminate public service announcements and the SSP pilot. "We believe it is critical for the agency serving the blind to have adequate funding," Livingston said.
Consumer Rhonda Hill described how SSP assistance restored everyday independence: accompanying her to parent‑teacher conferences, guiding her through public spaces and enabling outings with grandchildren. "Please do not cut the funds for the SSP program that...let me live again," Hill said.
Committee members questioned usage and longevity of cash fund 28141; Cervan confirmed the fund has been used for interest earnings to support programming but said the principal has been preserved to honor donor intent. Chair Rob Clements noted staff would consider the committee’s prior review of the governor’s budget and the agency’s explanation about the fund’s activity.
The hearing record for Agency 81 closed with one online proponent comment recorded.
